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Post by DK on Sept 5, 2010 9:59:23 GMT -5
What a great morning to ride. 56 degrees and sunny at 8am today. I started at Big Rock and went towards Fell. Noticed some flagging along the way, and then came upon some signs. Trail Runner Race today. Met up with a guy driving the gravel roads checking on the runners and he said that they had about 75 runners on the trails this morning. I had run up on 5 or 6 of them. I decided to just cut my ride short and head back so I didn't have to deal with the majority of them. On the way back, I met up with what looked like a boy scout or cub scout troop hiking the trail. Small group of maybe 10. Didn't see any horses, although there was plenty of fresh green "mud" on the trail. Got back to Big Rock and there was an aid/food station tent set up for the runners. The banner on the tent said Emerald Cross Country. I didn't even know there was a trail running group in Greenwood. The trail was in awesome shape, what little of it that I rode. I may have to go ride it again this evening when the runners are gone if the weather stays cool. EDIT: Just found the info on the event. ultrasontrails.com/longcane.html
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Post by dgaddis1 on Sept 5, 2010 13:18:14 GMT -5
Rode out there this morning with seenvic, my first time there. We started at Fell Hunt and rode the full loop, 20.5 miles total.
It was awesome!! Great ride, lots of variety. Nothing hard, but lots of long gradual climbs followed by long, fast, flowy downhill. A few creek crossings, a few rocky bits here and there, and just a few short steep climbs/downhills. A really good ride. A good singlespeed trail, plenty of climbing, but no long steep sections, most of it is gradual.
The runners out there are awesome...I don't know how they do it. I can't imagine running 50 miles! We talked to a few folks at an aid station half way through their route, and they said the leader took 4 hours to get there, so probably a little over 8hrs to do the whole thing. That's amazing, mad props!
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Post by Mark Y on Sept 5, 2010 14:07:38 GMT -5
The runners out there are awesome...I don't know how they do it. I can't imagine running 50 miles! We talked to a few folks at an aid station half way through their route, and they said the leader took 4 hours to get there, so probably a little over 8hrs to do the whole thing. That's amazing, mad props! +1 on that! Compared to my contemporaries I'm in decent shape cardiovascular wise, but in lousy shape relative to 99% of bikers. When I look at people running 50 miles or doing any sustained hard physical activity for hours I am embarrassed at just what poor shape I'm really in, and REALLY embarrassed for the average couch potato whom I can run circles around.
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Post by seenvic on Sept 5, 2010 16:59:22 GMT -5
The trail runners were running the whole thing. They started at Parsons Mtn and went into the thick cooridor first. They crossed Long Cane Creek, i guess on the metal bridge and then went towards Fell. At C they went left and back up towards 505/506. And around to Big Rock for the first time. Then to Fell. Then 9 minute trail and back to Parson's Mountain. That was the 30 mile run.
The 50 mile run continued on a full CW outer loop. That is pretty crazy to run.
The Greenwood boys have a 50 mile ride up there they call the "Dead Dog Loop". It is similar to this, but starts/finished at 505/506, I think.
The drive up today was 50 minutes from Sportsmans to Fell. A little more than 2 hours around a 20.5 mile lollipop loop. It is great ridin' up there. I think I may be on the CCW is the better directions. I was on the CW bankwagon the last few years, but CCW rocked today and last week.
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Post by brianW on Sept 6, 2010 6:29:38 GMT -5
If you are interested in seeing into the mind of an ultramarthoner I would suggest read "Ultramarathon Man"by Dan Karnazes. Very insightful and at times funny. I know Columbia County Library has it. www.ultramarathonman.com/flash/
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